Now that I’ve retired from my corporate job after 13 years, I’ve had more time to reflect on what has transpired over the past three years since I started blogging. Three years ago, the financial crisis was in full blown meltdown and I had just begun to feel the tug of doing something else after 10 years of work. Blogging was a catharsis to help me deal with financial loss as well as to connect with random folks with similar interests.

In these three years I have:

* Learned about the nuances of online search, HTML, wordpress, and the internet in general.

The main thing that kept me going was the interaction with the community. Finding brothers and sisters from all parts of the world, from all types of ethnic backgrounds who shared a similar, but different commonalities. The basic wording in my About page of “finding balance” has not changed since day one!

With the blogging community, I felt transported back to my days growing up overseas, attending international schools and meeting all types of people. As a person “stuck” in America for the past 20 years, I longed to experience that diversity once again.

ALWAYS FOCUS ON THE JOURNEY

Do you know the excitement you get when you book a vacation several months away? The excitement begins to build and build until the day finally arrives! Yes! But then, the vacation is over, and it’s back to the grind. I feel the same way with my three year journey, except that there’s no grind to return to. There’s just a vast pasture to do what I want, which is absolutely foreign to me. I’ve got to create some structure to utilize my time wisely. I sometimes miss the days of struggle where there was only one way to go but up!

I remember back in 2009, when starting my site was just an idea. I was on the bus back home from work and wrote down about 20 different blog title names I could think of. It took 16 tries before I could finally find a name that wasn’t already registered. From there, I had to come up with a tagline, a color scheme, and a gravatar. I had no idea what I was doing, so I hired someone to launch it for me. Thankfully I did, otherwise I probably would have never gone ahead at all.

Starting from nothing was exhilarating! Nobody had any preconceived notions of who I was. Being the underdog and getting slapped around like a prisoner of war gave me motivation to work harder. I currently feel the exact same way again with the launch of, “How To Engineer Your Layoff,” a new book that teaches people how to make money quitting their job. Nobody knows about it and few will buy unless I tell them why. It’s not enough I think the book is the best thing for employees who want to quit their jobs since slice bread. Nope. I’ve got to start from scratch and tell the story all over again and that’s exciting!

We need to focus on the journey because we can never get our time back. How much would you pay to rewind your life three years? Or put it a different way, how much would you pay to have three years longer to live? Time is like a train. We can put as much or as little onboard as we want. Either way it will keep on chugging a long. Hence, it’s important we not only enjoy the ride, but utilize our time in the best way possible.

BLOGGING WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

A colleague laughed at me in 2009 for starting a blog. We were at a team dinner, and he made a nerd face and pretended to type in the air when I told him. I guess to him, blogging is for dorks who sit in a cave all day and do nothing else. That perception might have been more relevant in 2009, but that perception is not true today. Thanks to work, he looks like he’s 45 instead of 34.

Blogging is for anybody who is creative, motivated, and has something to say. Blogging has become mainstream with the multi-million dollar purchases of sites such as The Huffington Post and TechCrunch. Internet users of the world are looking at blogs for opinions, not just mass media who just report the news. Yakezie.com has just as much right to be online as Yahoo.com.

If you want social proof that having a blog can improve your life for the better, just read the following posts of Yakezie Members who quit their jobs. I’ve linked to all their “I quit” posts.

What is more proof that blogging will change your life for the better than seeing people achieve freedom to pursue their interests? Maybe blogging might make you some money, although everybody should know that making money from writing online takes time. But, when I read the stories of people who’ve quit, making money through blogging is not the primary reason for quitting at all!

Blogging allows us to map out our plans and keep us accountable. Blogging helps us learn from our readers and discover new things our closed minds miss. In my case, blogging helped me start the Yakezie Network, motivated me to save ~70% of my after tax income for the past three years, build various income streams, write a book, and plan for the future!

Blogging encouraged Joe from RB40 to track his income and expenses, live off one income, and grind it out for the remaining couple years of his 16 year career to spend time with his son. Blogging allowed Jeff to work as a freelancer SEO and move to Portland. Meanwhile, Kevin is building Android apps!

BLOGGING IS HERE TO STAY AND WILL ONLY GET BIGGER

There’s no doubt in my mind that blogging will continue to grow in popularity. Nobody wants to just read the news anymore. They want to understand a viewpoint. No employer just wants just your resume and cover letter anymore. They want to get to get to know you online. The leverage affect of having a blog is incredible!

I hope my parents continue to follow along, no matter where their travels may take them. I hope my kids will get to know their father better through my public journals, even well after I’m gone. I’m excited about my newfound freedom and I hope to hear other bloggers in the coming year share with the community how blogging has positively affected them.

RESOURCES FOR A BETTER LIFE

Manage Your Finances In One Place: The best way to build wealth is to get a handle on your finances by signing up with Personal Capital. They are a free online platform which aggregates all your financial accounts in one place so you can see where you can optimize. Before Personal Capital, I had to log into eight different systems to track 28 different accounts (brokerage, multiple banks, 401K, etc) to track my finances. Now, I can just log into Personal Capital to see how my stock accounts are doing, how my net worth is progressing, and where I’m spending my money.

Start a blog today: It’s been six years since I started Financial Samurai and I’m actually earning a good passive income stream online now. The top 1% of all posts on Financial Samurai generates 31% of all traffic. The average age of the top 1% posts is 2.3 years old. In other words, after putting in the hours to write some very meaty content over two years ago, 10 posts consistently generate a monthly recurring income stream that’s completely passive.

I never thought I’d be able to quit my job in 2012 just three years after starting Financial Samurai. But by starting one financial crisis day in 2009, Financial Samurai actually makes more than my entire passive income total that took 15 years to build. If you enjoy writing, connecting with people online, and enjoying more freedom, see how you can set up a WordPress blog in 15 minutes with Bluehost. Who knows where your new adventure will take you in 2015 and beyond!

Negotiate A Severance Package: Don’t quit your job, get laid off and negotiate a severance package instead. Negotiating a severance enabled me to receive six years worth of living expenses from a company I dedicated 11 years of my life to. If I had quit, I wouldn’t get any severance, deferred compensation, medical benefits, job assistance training or unemployment benefits and neither will you. I believe so strongly in the message of never quitting that I spent a couple years writing this 100-page book entitled, “How To Engineer Your Layoff: Make A Small Fortune By Saying Goodbye.” I’m absolutely certain this book will help you recognize your rights as an employee and break free from the corporate grind to do something you truly want to do.

Financial Samurai is the founder of the Yakezie Network. Through continuing education and hard work, Sam believes everyone is able to achieve financial independence and give back to the community with abundance. Together we'll slice through money's mysteries!

Recent Articles by Financial Samurai

Wow, inspiring post Sam. I often wonder how much bigger blogging can get, and for how much longer. I really hope it’s here to stay, as I’ve only really just started! No regrets though, as there’s always a journey to continue along, a path to follow no matter your starting point. I think as long as bloggers are creating something original, first-handed and valuable we’ll always be in demand.

I agree. New opinions from different cultures, from different parts of the world, with different vantage points are always going to be treasured. Not only will blogging get bigger, the world will continue to get smaller.

I first heard of blogging in the early-mid 2000′s but didn’t start mine until 2008. I wish I would have a few years sooner. It has changed my life. The time I spend writing and maintaining my blog as well as interacting with many of the other great bloggers I’ve ‘met’ would probably be wasted otherwise.

Beat me by 1 year, and better late than never! I remember waking up on Saturday mornings at 6am-7am twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do. Business school from 9am-6pm helped fill that void, but after that was done, I twiddling my thumbs again. Blogging was a huge help in utilizing my morning hours more wisely and having a lot of fun!

Sure Denise, of course! I will probably expand on this post further this week. I like to stop writing at about 1,200 words, reflect a little, and add on to the post where I think things are missing after commenter feedback and reflection.

Sam, Great post. Blogging does open up so many opportunities, and gives us a different skills set we probably wouldn’t have picked up elsewhere. I started my blogging journey to get out of debt, and to hold me accountable. In less than two years, I’ve become debt free, and turned my blogging into a side-hustle, now spanning over two different blogs. Thanks for sharing a well written and inspiring post.

BTW, I didn’t know you had blogemies? Thought you’re like the guy from Cheers, where everyone knows your name ;)

It’s an inevitability that no matter what you do, someone is going to dislike you. However, thanks to those who hate, I get even more motivated to succeed! It’s like Popeye’s spinach :) Happiness and success in achieving ones goals are the best satisfaction.

I just started blogging 3 months ago and thanks to Yakezie my blog has been steadily growing. I love meeting and chatting with Oberlin bloggers and have learned so much since I have started. I always wanted to own my own business and blogging seems to be a great way to get a start. If I hadn’t started blogging I’d likely be bored watching TV or playing video games in my free time. I’m glad I started and have a long way to go but I am determined to become one of the top personal finance blogs out there.

Blogging has improved my writing skills, inspired me to push for more creativity, and build confidence. I’ve also learned to set goals (though I am still working towards meeting them!) I’m constantly motivated to do more and that’s because of a supportive community thanks to the Yakezie! I’m so glad you started blogging, Sam. Without your blog, I’m not so sure I would have continued all these years. ;)

Great article! I see blogging as a vehicle for sharing information and interaction. It may or may not become a small business for me. I see it is as a “larger” classroom to share a different viewpoint or influence others. It could become a platform for something I have not thought of yet. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks for the mention! Blogging is a great way to put down your ideas and share them with the world. Writing really help your creativity and blogging had been great for me. I can’t wait to meet everyone in Denver. It’ll be a blast.

Great post as always Sam. You, as well as several other bloggers have inspired me to finally move forward and start a blog. I came close about 2 years ago, but started another project. It was profitable, but not very fulfilling. In the past week or so since I committed to taking the plunge, I’ve already seen some benefits. This is just from brainstorming post ideas and getting started on outlines. I think the hardest part for me will be finding time with a full time job as well as family. However, I know you were able to do it, so here I go!

Good luck! I wanted to start Financial Samurai back in the last downturn of 2003. But, I got “too busy” with business school and other stuff. Man, if I had started FS back then, things would be certainly even more interesting now!

Wow, Sam ! Read your blog “Blogging Will Change Your Life For The Better” and found it fascinating. I have only recently started blogging, but have found it to be cathartic. Sure, it does not make you money, but having a venue to express yourself is just so releasing ! I do think seriously that the time has come for people to find ways of earning an income with having to rely on a job or an employer. Finding this source of earning is difficult, because you have to look deep inside you to discover what it is you love doing. And I think you can only discover this passion when you express yourself honestly about anything. It helps you discover who you are, and this discovery will eventually lead you to discover your true passion, and make a livelihood for yourself.

I couldn’t agree more about the statement, “Nobody wants to just read the news anymore. They want to understand a viewpoint.” Sometimes I lose track of that in my posts, but I keep coming back to it. Maybe some day I will get the hang of it.

It’s definitely a reasonable tactic to see the headline news, and write a post regurgitating the headline news if you have nothing to say. However, in the long run, I don’t think it’s going to last unless your blog is already established.

One of the interesting things that pops out is how all of you quit your jobs mainly to do something else that is not dependent on blogging! That blogging helped you guys set goals and find new things to do.

What have I learned? SO much. I’m only sorry I didn’t start sooner — writing things down helps keep me accountable, I write better than I did when I started, I have lots of friends who live in my computer, and I’m in a community that makes everyone better. Thanks!

Blogging started as an avenue for me to write down all of the things I was telling people I know iver and over. Now I can just refer them to my budgeting basics series. Now that the information is out there, it’s been interesting to come up with other topics to write about, and start to think about long-term goals for my blog. Ultimately, though I would love to make it a side-business, I would LOVE to follow the avenue that you have laid down, and pursue my dream job(s), with blogging there to help keep me accountabe and set lofty goals to achieve.

Honestly, I’m hoping to do financial coaching through iHB, get my series 6/7 and do financial planning, as well as grow my tax practice (at about 50 clients right now). That’s my long-term goal. I love helping people with money, and I can be a triple threat if I continue this blog. Thanks for inspiration, Sam.

Blogging hasn’t changed everything, but it definitely has changed my life for the better. In fact, blogging is one of the big reasons behind my entrepreneurial jump, and you’re also one of the main reasons I was able to take the jump, even if just by being an inspiring figure. :) In fact, I’m surprised you didn’t ask me to review your book yet or take part in your affiliate program. Were you waiting for me to come to you? I’d be more than happy to.

In my retirement post, I mentioned that if anybody believes in the idea and wants to be an affiliate, they are welcome to sign up.

Also, I didn’t want to be in your face or others who actually quit their jobs instead of engineering their layoffs. It’s a touchy subject sometimes, and I don’t want to offend someone for doing something already that is contrary to what I’m advising.

However, getting reviewed by someone who quit instead of engineering their layoff is one of the true tests!

P.S. Nice write up, this has gotten me feeling a bit more inspired. Completely agree, right through to the role of blogging itself. It’s such a great way to bounce ideas and share what you’ve learned with others. Can’t wait to see what else you come up with. :)

I’m really happy that I started blogging, and I’ve learned and continue to learn so much. It’s not for everyone but it’s worth a shot for everyone who’s interested to at least give it a try. I used to write a private journal before I started blogging and now I put my thoughts out to the public instead. It’s nice being able to bounce ideas off each other and get feedback. :)

Very inspirational, Sam, and I hope one day I’ll join you and the others. I started a year and a half ago and my husband had a bit of a problem explaning what is a blog. Learning has been wonderful; even more importantly blogging makes me and life more fun. And yes, my colleagues couldn’t understand it – they still assume that I blog about my academic field. How wrong they are!

Blogging really can improve one’s life. I’m not a big fan of the IT headaches (yes, I’ve learned a lot, but I’d be very OK not learning about modifying WordPress templates lol). Nevertheless, I find that it focuses my daily life on what “adds value”. I tend to get more done; I watch vastly less TV and play fewer video games. I’m an opinionated person who did a radio show for five years; I took a two year hiatus and was very glad when my blog gave me a new platform to express opinions. I’ve met a ton of cool people and even got to enjoy some media attention. Even though I don’t make almost any money at it, I’m definitely going to continue blogging for its many other benefits.

Sam, I am continuing to be laughed at about my blogging and my vision, I have met so many bloggers through blogging and have learned so much, one of these days when I have time I will make this thing completely work for me. Sam-I also want to thank you, your blog has lead me to some seriously great bloggers and I am almost finished with your book….a nice job!

Sam, I agree with all your reasons for blogging. I’d add that blogging is a noble passion. It may be the only passion that allows competitors to help each other(AKA Yakezie network). Can you think of launching Yakeize for the same principles for any other profession? I don’t think so. Blogging also helps you expand your knowledge horizon by sharing and reading content of other bloggers.

I made some good money and even better than that I have made some good friends. The one problem (for me) I see about blogging though is that there is TOO MUCH information. Sometimes is way off too. However, every so often you find gems.

Blogging has become a great journey for me, and surprisingly changed me far more than I expected. It’s funny how you start something planning on one thing, but you end up somewhere else (at least in my case)…

I’m grateful for landing on your Financial Samurai site, (via seejanegetrich.com). You and the formation of the Yakezie has kept me in the blogging game much longer than the experiment that I thought it would be… :)

Sam, Journey is so much better than the destination!!! Words to those who have not quit their jobs and are chugging along with a part time blog; refrain from the mistake of comparing yourself to others. There’s a place at the table for all!!!! I also think “financially poor” is a FT blogger too.

Thanks for the reminder. Kevin, where are ya?! Send me your “I quit” job, and I’ll put it up.

The good thing about being financially independent now is that I’m financially independent. The bad thing is, I’m 3 years older, and won’t get that time back. Hence, why I want to continue to live in the moment.

Blogging has been a great journey for me. I love finding new blogs and discovering great posts from blogs I read regularly. I have felt that I have gotten it together in a lot of ways and my blog has pushed me to keep getting better. It’s a lot of fun to share ideas with similarly motivated people.

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Sam, excellent post as always! I’ve started my own blog, since I find myself often retyping some of the same comments in different articles and I feel that while my point of view is sometimes a little distinct, it is usually valid. One of these days if I think it’ll create some income from it, I may monetize the blog. But for now I’m happy with it the way that it is.

[...] Godin says, ”The goal of a blog is to help you reach your goals.” It’s true. Blogging has positively affected my life like nothing else I’ve ever done, but I don’t use it specifically for reaching my [...]

Sam, I know I chimed in a bit late on this one, but I have enjoyed spreading my ideas and my words through my blog. This process is not easy for me for I am a full-time worker that does not work in the industry that I write about…but it has been a wonderful experience and I am contnuing to learn so much and above all help people. Thank you– Sam for your insights and I wish all well here at Yakezie.

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